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JohnRoss

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Everything posted by JohnRoss

  1. As a two time Dr Rahal patient (2006 and 2017) I can honestly say the guy has changed my life. People comment on how lucky I am to have a full head of hair: if only they saw what my hair was like in my mid-20s before I met Dr Rahal! The density that Dr Rahal achieved for me I honestly do not believe any other doctor could have achieved, anywhere in the world. Sure, not everyone heals as well for a variety of reasons. But all things being equal, I do not believe any other doctor comes close to Dr Rahal. I am just sad he will retire in a few years, before I need my third / final procedure. Dr Rahal, you are a living legend and I will be eternally thankful for what you did for me!
  2. I had my first transplant 12 years ago and I can tell you then these forums were rife with people claiming that within 10 years hair multiplication would be a reality and no one would ever need to worry about a donor site again. Here we are, more than 10 years later, and still no further forward. Do not rely on what science MAY provide in the future - go based on what we know right now. I would say the advice you have had here is sound. Incidentally, I travelled from Europe to have surgery with Rahal - despite the fact I was recently graduated and up to my eyeballs in student debt and couldn't really afford it. Still, somehow I managed to pay it - and the student loans off - and I am so glad I did. The results Rahal gave me are world class. I do not believe any other surgeon anywhere in the world could have given me such a good result. I've long since forgotten about the temporary financial difficulties it caused me, but still enjoying the lifelong results it achieved. Also worth pointing out that I had strip and my hairdresser cannot find my scar. Find a surgeon based on results, not price.
  3. I feel for you! My first result with Rahal didn't grow in this fast. But I probably did have more growth at this stage than you have. HOWEVER, everyone is different. Maybe you will be a late bloomer. I've got everything crossed for you my friend!
  4. I just wanted to update at 6.5 months post-op. This is a photo taken yesterday when I was having my hair cut, with my hair wet sitting under the harsh lights in the salon! I could not be any happier with the outcome. This has been life changing for me.
  5. Sorry to hear you are still not happy. The density at 40 FU’s / cm sounds a bit lower than Rahal’s normal hairline density. When I first went to him (12 years ago), he talked about 70-80 FUs/cm, although when I went back to him last year he said he would go about 50. It sounds as though he has gradually lowered the density he plants at over the years (I am sure he has a good reason for doing this). It also sounds as though there may have been technical challenges with your particular case too that he has been up front about (slippery grafts that were more difficult to place). I think you will definitely get more growth over the next few months. Have you discussed with Rahal yet what will happen if you do not get enough growth to make you happy? He is a good guy and I am pretty sure he will want to do whatever he can to make you happy.
  6. If you had strip with Rahal then you seriously need to stop worrying. It literally just doesn't get better than that. I will try and post more pics soon, but it is really thickening up fast now.
  7. Sorry yours is taking longer to grow. Maybe it is because you had FUE and I had strip. I know when I was first looking at FUE, a longggg time ago, it was considered to be more traumatic and less predictable growth. I don't know if it has changed since then because I never really considered FUE this time - I just wanted to go straight back and have more of the same. I think I am now at 100% growth although I am just waiting for the length of the new hairs to reach the length of the old hairs. Hang in there, I am sure it will end will for you... eventually!
  8. I keep my hair longer - but I have buzzed to a 3 in the past and it was fine. I think I could even get away with a 2. But then I went to Rahal... who is the best in the world
  9. Absolutely FIRST CLASS work time and again from Dr Rahal. I have noticed however that Dr R seems to be using smaller graft numbers than he used to?
  10. I have had two FUT procedures with Rahal and I think it was the best thing I have ever done. I think you get better growth, faster and you don't get the moth eaten look at the back. The scar only becomes an issue if you plan to shave your head in the future (which I never would do). It's true that the recovery is worse with FUT, but it is a week out of your life. Who cares for a lifetime of great hair
  11. I just went back to Rahal for procedure number 2, 12 years after my first procedure with him. I could not be more pleased. I was delighted first time round, so automatically went back however his techniques have improved considerably since the last time I was there and this time I am beyond delighted. I seriously do not think you can get better than Rahal, anywhere in the world. I have seen results from other top doctors that are good, but they are not in the same league as Rahal - not when you see them in real life.
  12. The only thing I did differently this time was take vitamin supplements. I thought it was probably a load of rubbish, but for the sake of £20 for a six month supply it was worth a shot. Not sure if it had anything to do with my faster growth rate this time, but for anyone looking to have a shot this is the vitamin I used. https://www.boots.com/boots-skin-hair-and-nails-180-tablets-10149709
  13. I paid 20k for two procedures with Rahal. And you know what? I would personally pay three times that much for the result he gave me. The guy is a rock star of hair restoration and I actually told him the last time I saw him that he should charge more! I would be more than happy to pay it for his level of skill / expertise.
  14. Before I chose Rahal the first time I consulted with a number of the 'bag name' doctors at the time and they all had impressive before and after pictures. When I actually met with Rahal patients and saw his results up close however there was no comparison - the density he can achieve is unparalleled. I am a very highly strung, uptight perfectionist and to satisfy me I needed a near perfect outcome. I can accept not everyone needs / wants that level of perfection, but if you are looking for the absolute best of the best then Rahal is the man. I am just devastated he will retire at some point, probably before I need my third and final transplant in another 10 years. Some people asked for more close up pictures so I have taken this morning when I got out the shower and my hair was wet which I think is a good way of showing real density. You can see the new section at the front isn't as dense as the previous transplant (yet) but I just can't believe how good it looks so quickly this time. Literalno, I really wouldn't worry about your regrowth at this stage. Month four is still early and at this stage most people are just starting to see a few hairs coming through. I got exceptionally lucky in the way I healed. We both had the same surgeon and same team, only a couple of weeks apart so you should get as good a result as me. It's just taking your body longer to recover. You should definitely speak to Rahal if you are having doubts though... you had the best of the best and you will be fine with a bit more time. Send me some pics and I will give you an honest opinion
  15. So I am now at 4 months and I thought I would add a little update. I think I must be near 100% of hairs growing which, I believe, is pretty unheard of. I have no idea how Dr Rahal managed to achieve this or if I just got lucky... but this is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. The hairs at the front are obviously still a lot shorter than the hairs from the previous transplant however I had my hair cut last week to try and blend the two sections. Hopefully within another couple of months it will have grown to the point where there is no difference between the original transplant and the new one.
  16. I don't want to freak you out, but I don't think my second scar is going to be as good as the first. First scar was really hard to find and tiny. Second time I did LOTS of scalp laxity exercises and had good laxity, but after surgery I got some shock loss around the scar which is now starting to come back, but I am convinced the final scar is not going to be as good this time. I don't really care because the recipient site is looking awesome... and the scar is still easily covered... but I think there probably is something in second scars not being as good, regardless of how excellent the surgeon is. It's just how we heal.
  17. Yes - finasteride and minoxidil. I think I would be in a much worse position right now if I hadn't started taking those when I did.
  18. So it’s only the front centimetre and a half that is at three months - the majority is 12 years old! But yeah, the growth this time has been quite literally unbelievable. Some of the hairs never fell out and just kept growing. Then more started sprouting at 7 or 8 weeks. I will say that I am incredibly itchy right now.... but I can cope with that 😍
  19. I wanted to share this review for anyone looking to achieve a premier league hair transplant. If you genuinely want the best, you HAVE to go to Dr Rahal. There are, of course, other good doctors who produce good results - but literally NO ONE gets results like Rahal. The guy has changed my life. I had my first transplant with Rahal around 12 years ago at the age of 26. I started losing hair early and I was virtually suicidal over it. I couldn’t cope with it, but was terrified of having a transplant because of the strip scar. At that stage, FUE was in it’s infancy and the growth rates were very poor compared with strip so if I wanted a transplant it had to be a strip or nothing. I eventually decided that I didn’t care about the strip scar - if it didn’t work, a wig was my back up plan. I went to Rahal and he did strip putting 4000 grafts in to my hairline. Around the same time I also started taking finasteride, and eventually started using minoxidil too. The hairline design was relatively conservative because we assumed I would lose a lot more hair over the coming decade and would need to keep my donor area to fill in the top of my head in the not too distant future. However, the finasteride and minoxidil worked brilliantly for me maintaining my existing hair so three months ago - now aged 38 - I went back for a second procedure to lower the hairline a little further. We used another 2500 grafts, just to lower the hairline and restore my temple points and achieve a more youthful looking hairline. Since I already had a strip scar, we decided to go with strip again. It has only been just over three months and the results are already incredible yet again. This most recent procedure wasn’t strictly necessary - it was simply a case of touching up and improving on an already brilliant result. I guess I was greedy and wanted closer to the ideal teenage hairline again. When you look at the pictures of where I started and where I am now, the result is unbelievable. People don’t think I had a hair transplant or thinning hair - people actually comment on how thick my hair looks, which is incredible since I was well on my way to being a slap head in my mid-20s. Getting to Ottawa is not the easiest. I travelled from the UK. And Dr Rahal likes you to hang around in his guesthouse for a week after, resting with your head elevated at 45 degrees in a recline. It kinda sucks, but the way I looked at it was it is only one week out of my life and if it means a great result, then so be it. I wanted to follow every aspect of his protocol - pre-op and post-op to make sure I could get the best possible result. I have attached a couple of pictures - one before, and one this morning. You can see in the current photo the new hairs just planted at the hairline and temple points, which are still short and a little sparse - but still an incredible amount of growth considering it was only three months ago, and that is only going to get better. I realise this sounds like I am being paid to promote Dr Rahal - but I am not. I am just so incredibly happy with what he has done for me and I cannot describe the difference he has made to my self confidence and I am surprised he is not talked about more on these forums. I know there are other great doctors out there, but none in his league. He is genuinely in a league of his own, so please, do yourself a favour - if you are going to put yourself through the trauma of a hair transplant, get yourself a flight to Ottawa and go to the best!
  20. I had my second hair transplant recently to lower my hairline. I had my first surgery a long time ago, and went back for a second surgery to bring my hairline a little lower. I have a bit of thinning at the top of my head, but it hasn't been bad enough to warrant doing any surgery there (yet). Since my most recent op however the top of my head - which has never been operated on - is shedding like there is no tomorrow. I don't know what is going on. I haven't been losing hair like this since I was a teenager! I am on Finasteride and Minoxidil and I am going to start some PRP soon too. Has anyone else experienced loss like this after surgery in a non-operated area? I am absolutely freaking out at how bad this is.
  21. After my Rahal surgery I swelled like nothing else. I remember it being 2 or 3 weeks before my face looked normal again.
  22. I don't think anyone beats Dr Rahal for hairline... it's worth the extra travel. I travelled from Europe to see him 10 years ago for my hairline and it was the best thing I ever did.
  23. I will ask them - but I am getting my hairline done, and with Rahal it will definitely be super-dense packed, so I guess I am going to have to just suck it up to get the result I want!
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